What is Vest-uary? Why, it’s a way to rescue the drabness of February from its own tired moods; a time to celebrate the undervalued little sister of the pullover; and it’s an expression of faith that the seasons will change and we will not always need to wear bulky, double-knit, alpaca coats and nightcaps to bed in order to be warm, for lo! spring will indeed come again…ahem, that last part might just be me.

Vests, let me sing your praises. You give me warmth without having to knit sleeves. You are the knitted equivalent of a hug. You are a chance to show off my snappy shirts. You let me dig through my jewelry box and finally wear a necklace even though it is winter. You are perfect for knitting up leftover balls of yarn.

I love the one vest I’ve knit and covet more, more, more! They’re perfect to add that bit of snap to an outfit. They can go preppy to the office or bohemian to the coffee shop. They let us cold-blooded people wear our shirts or blouses for more than just 4 months each year. So I’m creating Vest-uary in the hopes that I will knit one, or possibly even two, vests to add warmth and a touch of fab-u-lous-ness to my wardrobe.

Vest-uary is is simply a month to knit or crochet or sew vests and enjoy wearing them. It’s a no rules craft-along. There will be a Flickr Group to collect our photos. There will be a Ravelry Group for those who both Ravel and revel in vesty goodness.

As I knit Christmas items for others and shiver on the couch, I’m dreaming of what I’ll knit. Here are a few patterns that have caught my eye:

What a great idea. From the trenches of Christmas crafting, it’s hard to imagine having the time available to knit a vest. But just a few more weeks of work and I WILL have time to take up other projects, won’t I?